By Ellyn Ruthstrom, Executive Director of SpeakOUT
National Coming Out Day can be a significant moment for LGBTQ+ people who are newly empowered to step forward about their sexual orientation or their gender identity. On that day, you can feel like the whole community is welcoming you with open arms and cheering just for you! And we are. We know the courage it takes to make that choice to live authentically and to reveal deeply personal parts of yourself to important people in your life. Each person’s journey is different and whether you are 14 or 74, we all deserve to be celebrated and welcomed into the community.
National Coming Out Day also provides a space for folks who have been out for decades to attest to the transformative power of the coming out experience. As those of us who are “tenured” know, you don’t just come out once; you end up having to come out throughout your life whenever you are meeting new people and heading into new environments. It’s a bit like flexing your muscles, and it becomes easier each time you do it.
SpeakOUT speakers have been venturing into classrooms, boardrooms, auditoriums, public libraries, churches, temples—anywhere we are invited—to share stories about LGBTQ+ lives since 1972. Raising awareness about our lives and answering questions from the audience (“Ask Us Anything” is our motto!) are extremely important parts of our engagements. But many of our speakers volunteer their time and energy for an even more personal reason. They know how potent a role model can be for someone who hasn’t yet come out. One of the things that our members often say is, “I wish there had been a SpeakOUT when I was growing up. It could have saved me a lot of struggle if I had seen a confident LGBTQ+ adult talking about their life.” And some of our own speakers were originally members of a SpeakOUT audience and felt the impulse to pay it forward by telling their own story to the next generation.
This week, as a lead-up to National Coming Out Day on Sunday, October 11th, SpeakOUT will be sharing our members’ insights about their own coming out experiences and highlighting the power of telling those stories to raise awareness. We have a generous donor who is pledging to match the first $2,500 of donations this week—doubling the impact of your gift! We’ve pivoted during COVID to online engagements and your support today can help us continue our awareness-building work.
SpeakOUT speakers represent the beautiful spectrum of our LGBTQ+ rainbow, and on National Coming Out Day my hope is that everyone within our community feels the liberation of living true to ourselves.
SpeakOUT's Board of Directors has brought on three new members in the last six months. We are always interested in hearing from prospective board members who want to contribute time and energy to the LGBTQ+ community. The board meets once a month (currently virtually) and has opportunities for board members to support the organization's fundraising, events planning, organizational development, and more. If you are interested, please email Executive Director Ellyn Ruthstrom at ellyn@speakoutboston.org to find out how you can get involved. We especially encourage people of color, and transgender and nonbinary individuals to apply for a seat on the board.
Meg Duberek joined the board of SpeakOUT in March 2017 and after a year as Vice Chair, she is now the Board Chair. Meg previously volunteered with Horizons for Homeless Children and REACH Beyond Domestic Violence. After the November 2016 election, she was reinvigorated to spend her free time focusing on social change. Meg values the focus of SpeakOUT on breaking down interpersonal barriers and changing hearts and minds, and knows that this vital work must go hand in hand with policy change within our political climate. During the work day, Meg is a member of the Communications team at an education consulting nonprofit. She analyzes reporting, tracks data, and assists with website development. In her spare time, she is usually found outside hiking, kayaking, or in a hammock with her kindle.
Andrew Chou joined SpeakOUT’s Board of Directors in September 2018. After serving as Treasurer for a year and a half, he is now in the Vice Chair role. Andrew’s affinity to SpeakOUT stems from his belief that sharing personal experiences and building community are critical to helping LGBTQ individuals better understand their identities and allies better support their LGBTQ peers. Outside of his involvement with SpeakOUT, Andrew enjoys his day job in finance and is a spin class regular, an avid squash player, and an aspiring pastry chef.
Jenn Guneratne joined SpeakOUT’s board in July 2014, having initially signed on as a volunteer in late 2013 to assist with the organization's social media presence. Since then, she has watched the board grow with a number of highly talented and enthusiastic members. Jenn is excited to be involved with the Board during this time of growth and she is serving in the role of Board Clerk. Professionally, Jenn has worked in both arts organizations and educational institutions, and is currently working for the Undergraduate Affairs department at Boston University College of Communication. Jenn's background and interests span the gamut of drama, music and musicology, photography, deaf studies, involvement with the LGBTQ community, and commuting around the city on her trusty bike.
Sherry Jones Maspons joined SpeakOUT’s board in February 2019 and has recently taken on the role of Treasurer. She’s been an advocate for LGBTQ organizations in the North Shore and Greater Boston areas for many years. She acted as marshall for the Ova4D Lesbian Group in 2018 for the Boston Pride parade. As a Financial Systems Analyst and Consultant she chased large financial institution mergers and acquisitions from MA, FL, NC, OH. She then returned to her hometown of Marblehead in 2014 and currently sits on the Board of Directors for her Rowing Club, RocknRow. Sherry enjoys cooking and hosting dinner parties, cycling, gardening, traveling and sailing.
George Grattan’s career and volunteer history wind through the woods of both academia and non-profits, including editing, writing, marketing, program management, public speaking, board service, environmental activism, and general "doing of stuff." George joined the board of SpeakOUT in the fall of 2014, and served as Board Chair for three years. He has worked at Ceres, Bentley University, Earthwatch, and the Urban Ecology Institute and has taught American literature, writing, and environmental studies courses at Boston College, and the College of the Holy Cross, his alma mater. A proud bisexual/queer, cisgender man, he lives with his wife, Mary, in Waltham, MA and can be found every third Wednesday of the month hosting the Bisexual Resource Center's "Bi/Pan+ Guyz Social Night."
Catherine (Cat) Tepoz joined SpeakOUT’s board in December 2019. She previously volunteered with DBSA Boston, a mental health support group. Cat is excited to be a part of the LGBTQ community and to share her personal experiences with others. Professionally, Cat works for Bank of America Private Bank in the financial district. Outside of her involvement with SpeakOUT, Cat is a part-time MBA student at Boston College’ Carroll School of Management. In her free time, Cat can be found going on small hikes.
Chessy Whalen joined the board of SpeakOUT in January 2020, having moved to Boston from the UK in late 2019. In London, Chessy worked with a UK-based LGBTQ charity, Just Like Us, an organization that also uses storytelling and personal connection to increase awareness of LGBTQ issues and acceptance of LGBTQ people. Seeing the similarities with SpeakOUT, she was really keen to get involved. Chessy's day job is as a Strategy Consultant and in her spare time she enjoys reading, British TV, and trying new food either in her kitchen or out to eat.
